Alexander's Begining
by Cyphon R
Summary: Alex Jameson, a normal young man living a somewhat high stress life, encounters a catastrophic event... Or does he?  Rated M for future chapters.
1. 1: Silver Flames

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not profit in any way from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creators._

_**A/N:**__ While this story is rated M and I do plan to include various indecencies in this story, this will not likely turn into a giant, hairy, walking ball of fuck. This is because of my personal preferance for some tangible feelings in a story, and my belief that sex is an extension of love, not it's basis._

_On that note, this story will likely include the following. _

_-(M/F), (F/F), (M/F/F), ETC.  
><em>

_-(Pkmn/pkmn), (pkmn/hmn), maybe (hmn/hmn)_

_-Minor body changes for some pokemon. _

_-Also, some OOC and Non-cannon._

_If you don't like these things, feel free to hit the back button at your leisure._

_Feel free to make requests in your reviews. However, I will not write the following:_

_-(M/M) Nothing against it, just not my thing._

_-Guro or other mutilation (Yes, this includes hard vore.)_

_-Anything involving "excrement."_

_Anyway, on with the story._

**~~~Chapter one: Silver Flames~~~**

Alex walked quickly down the empty street, the only light coming from the city's street lamps. He yawned before shaking himself to stay awake, having a hard time keeping alert on his feet. He hardly noticed as some of the lights flickered, lost deep in half thoughts and semi-concious dreams. He briefly wondered why he'd chosen to work the night shift, though he was still vaguely aware of his own prefference for solitude. As a freshman in college, he hardly had a choice... He groaned, remembering that his classes started in four hours, causing him to redouble his efforts to make it to his bed.

A wave of vertigo hit him, causing him to totter on his feet and lean against one of the poles for support. "This sucks. This sucks _**hard**_." He closed his eyes, trying to banish the dizziness and shaking. Hell, he even imagined the world was getting brighter beyond his closed eyes, bringing more shaking and spinning into his already unstable reality... He tentatively opened his eyes, shading them for a moment against the probably imaginary light.

Even in his compromised mental state, Alex quickly figured out that the silver light and shaking were _not_ hallucinations as his dizziness passed. It was, in fact, something above him rattling the earth and casting it's unnatural glow, making everything take on a surreal aspect. He was loath to look upon whatever was doing this, but the young man knew he had too. Shielding his eyes, he looked up until he made out a silver flame in the sky, hurtling towards him like a meteor. He paused as he looked at the thing. It was probably big enough to take out the entire city, though it was difficult to tell it's mass... or even it's size... not that it mattered.

It struck Alex for the first time in his self absorbed haze that he'd seen _no one_ beyond himself, his manager and his other three coworkers wandering the streets since he left. Made sense, since this thing looked absolutely enormous, and... was still hurtling right at him. He felt the urge to run, but quickly dismissed it. He was far to tired, and it was a useless notion, regardless. That thing would have a blast radius far greater than anyone could get out of in time, even with a vehicle. He sighed, then paused as he considered his situation. He smiled wryly as he let himself fall to the ground. "May as well get some sleep... Besides, what cooler way is there to go than be vaporized or crushed by a falling star?"

Alex awoke later, and was very much surprised to do so. _'I'm... alive?'_ He thought, considering it no less than an absolute miracle... Until he realized the state he was in. Suspended in a tube of luminescent jelly with yet more tubes sticking out all over his body was _not_ a good way to come too. Ever. He floundered in the liquid, trying desperately to remove the crap from his body, though he only succeeded in hurting himself.

He heard a muffled sound from outside the tube, though he couldn't see anything beyond the fluid... gel... stuff around him. That is, until the blinds _outside_ the tube were opened. First thing Alex noticed? He couldn't be anywhere near his city. There was nothing like the tech outside the tube where he lived, and he severely doubted the government had an installation in what was likely now just a crater on the landscape.

Second thing? The woman standing in front of him, presumably a doctor or scientist of some sort, was staring at him. Made him severely uncomfortable, since he was buck-naked inside the blasted gel-crap. He covered himself quickly, and she jumped, startled at his movement. She looked up at his face in amazement, then pressed a button nearby.

She spoke extremely fast, and Alex couldn't understand a word of it through the thick glass... or was it some kind of plastic?... of the tube. Half a second after the woman stopped talking, a bedraggled man burst into the room in nothing but a lab coat and blue jeans. He looked right at Alex, then rushed over to the console, almost running right into the woman in the process. They spoke excitedly for a moment, then turned to look at him again.

The man stepped over to a console, grabbing a small device that looked suspiciously like a probe. Alex would have backed away... if he could get the crap out of him. Of course, his fears were unfounded, as he learned a moment later when the scientist spoke into what was apparently a mic.

It took a moment for Alex to realize the man was speaking Japanese. He paused a moment, trying to understand what the guy had said. "You're awake! My god, this is fantastic." The man spoke with an accent Alex couldn't identify, but it was definitely Japanese, not the English he was used too. He remembered learning the language so he could meet with his online friends in Tokyo... Oh, and speak to some of his cousins, whom were Japanese, as well.

Alex tried to say something, but the tube jammed down his throat made it difficult. In stead, he gestured at all the crap sticking out of him, managing to maintain what modesty he could with one hand and get his point across. The man paused, then said, "I suppose it is uncomfortable to be hooked up to all that, isn't it? I'll just run some tests to make sure it's safe to unhook you... We have quite a bit we need to talk about." The guy handed the mic over to the woman, whom was obviously unsure of what to do with it as the scientist Alex assumed was her superior began fiddling with console after console.

She opened her mouth briefly, paused, then said simply said, "Hello." Her voice was quiet, but confident, and Alex could easily pick out the same accident as the man's. She looked like she expected a response, so he cocked an eyebrow at her and nodded. She stared at him for a moment, then smiled. "This is fantastic..." she muttered to herself, apparently forgetting she held a mic. "Absolutely amazing! He's retained his cognitive abilities...!" Alex's brow furrowed at that. _'Why wouldn't I have...' _He paused, then answered his own question with a mental face palm. _'The meteor. Fantastic.'_

"Um..." The woman before him looked at him curiously. "Do you mind if I ask some questions?" Again, Alex cocked an eyebrow at her, but shrugged. Not like he could answer with a tube shoved down his throat. Of course, at that moment, the container he was in began to drain it's fluid, and the young man had to wonder at the timing of this scientific duo. "Excellent! I'll get you a towel and something to wear, and we'll get started!"

She was off like a shot, but returned just as the tube started to open. Alex felt weaker than he'd expected, shaking with the effort of standing alone. On top of that particular pleasantness, his entire body tingled as if he'd slept on it wrong. He felt groggier, and more than a little cranky because of it.

The woman handed him the towel and robe, which he took gratefully and put to use immediately. She opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted by the man. "Greetings! I'm Professor Arcade Trivus. This is my daughter and assistant, Hana." Alex stared, not sure he believed these two were related by blood. She was blonde and well tanned, with a body that was probably more suited to a beach or gym than a laboratory. Arcade? He looked like he belonged here more than the machines did, with his wild grey hair and pasty skin. Alex shook his head dismissively.

Arcade waited a moment, then prompted him. "What's your name, lad? Or don't you remember?" Alex flushed a bit as he finished using the towel to get as much of the crap off him as he could. "Sorry... Alex. Bad at Japanese... And people." He knew his grammar was terrible, but it was the best he could do at that point. He just had to hope that at least one of them deserved the lab coat on their shoulders.

Thankfully, they both did, though they gave him an odd look. "I understood the bad at people part... but what was that about this "Japanese?" Alex's brow furrowed as the woman asked this. He assumed she was just screwing with him. "Ha ha. Got it. I am stupid American trying to speak Japanese. Funny." They BOTH simply looked more confused, and Alex began to get a slow, creeping sense that these two might actually not understand.

"What are you talking about, lad? What's this about American and Japanese?" Alex paused, feeling a bit anti-social... The language barrier didn't really help his disposition, either. "Um... Language? We're speaking Japanese. Not my language." The two of them looked at each other, then back at him. "You mean to say... That languages go beyond ours and..." The professor shushed his daughter, then looked at the young man. "So your speaking skills are limited, then? That's a minor annoyance, but at least you CAN communicate verbally."

Alex felt a bit better at the minor reassurance the professor provided, but he still wondered what his daughter had been about to say. Before he could ask, though, the doctor took on an extremely serious expression, stopping the words in his throat. "I'll be honest, boy... I can't let you leave here." Alex's heart jumped, but the professor continued. "At least, not yet. The scans I performed confirmed you were healthy enough to operate on your own... but your immune system is slightly lacking in some areas, while others... Well, let's just say letting you step outside the lab would definitely be a problem. Be glad all the gear and personnel are well cleaned before, during, and after entering or leaving the lab."

After a short pause for thought, Alex nodded, hoping the professor would keep his implied promise to release him. As if in affirmation, he nodded back and smiled. "Good. Now, I believe you owe my daughter a few answers..." Hana smiled slightly as Professor Arcade walked toward the door. "I have other business to attend to. I trust you'll behave?" He didn't wait for an answer, just walked out the door, leaving Alex (20) alone with his daughter. (~18) She stepped closer, her energy practically pouring from her skin. "Well, shall we get to it, then?"

Hana hammered Alex with a few basic questions: My family life, What year it was, my eating habits... random things that any survey might have asked. I half expected her to ask me if my time in the tube was satisfactory. Throughout the whole process, she revealed nothing about herself or the reason she asked about his favorite books. After a few minutes, though, she relented, nodding slightly as she wrote down her "findings."

Alex waited a moment before his discomfort caused him to blurt, "Why'd your father leave you here? Alone?" She tensed almost imperceptibly, but simply cocked an eyebrow at him. "What? Plan on doing something to me?" He turned beet red and shook his head, causing her to giggle and relax again. "Because I can take care of myself. I'm stronger than I look, and I'm also a trainer."

Alex nodded. She certainly looked fit enough to be a trainer. Maybe she ran with people from her town when she wasn't in the lab, and that's how she stayed in such great shape? "Very cool. How much does training cost?" She looked at him strangely, much like she had with the language issue. "I... take it you don't take money to train people? Charity?" Hana looked at him incredulously, then paused. "You really don't know, do you...?" She paused as she reached for her belt.

_'Oh. She carries a gun... That must be...'_ That thought died in his head when, in stead of a gun, he saw three little red and white golf-balls with buttons. They looked familiar, but the closest things he could liken them too were grenades, and he was reasonably sure she wouldn't use a grenade on an assailant... But... "I train these." She pulled one of the balls off her belt and pressed the button, causing it to instantly inflate to the size of a softball. It split in half across it's black line, releasing a beam of red light. I stood speechless as a creature formed within the beam, then looked right at me.

The yellow creature was shorter than me by a head and a half, but it certainly didn't look like a pushover. "Alex, meet Ampharos, my guardian and best friend." Ampharos? That... didn't make any sense. Ampharos was a creature from a fictional franchise! How could it be standing... right there? He paused... and the shocked look dropped from his face, a weary, skeptical look replacing it quickly.

"A pokemon... Ampharos. Right." Instantly irritated by Alex's disbelief, Hana sighed. "Well, at least you know of them. Saves quite a bit of explanation..." "Am?" The pokemon's voice was slightly childish, but otherwise convincing. "Sorry, Ampharos. Just trying to help this guy figure things out." The pokemon nodded, then stepped closer to Alex. "Ros!" The electric type smiled and held out it's stubby paw, trying to be friendly. Alex hesitated before deciding it would be rude to ignore the offer. He reached for the paw, but received only a static shock before the pokemon withdrew.

Alex sighed, laying back and trying to stop his head from splitting open. "This is... completely unreal." He said. "Has to be. Pokemon don't exist, people don't survive being hit by meteors, and..." He paused, trying to think of something else. Of course, other than those two things, everything else seemed relatively normal.

He sighed again, staring up at the roof above him. They'd given him a janitorial closet as a room, though he wasn't really complaining. It smelled pretty clean, and they'd done well to make him feel welcome, considering what they had to work with. He paused to consider the to scientists, sizing them up in his mind. Arcade seemed a bit wily, and probably really loved his work. Hana seemed like she'd be popular among... well, anyone she met. Definitely not his type... And definitely well out of his league.

Grimacing as he shook his head, he noticed a small whimper just outside his room. He stood, walking quietly over to and opening the door slightly. What looked like a young child with green hair and baggy white clothes. She (He paused, wondering silently how he knew she was female, but dismissed the thought almost instantly,) flinched away as she noticed him watching her, falling as she tripped over the "cloth" about her feet. Of course, now Alex noticed her red eyes and the equally red horns atop her head. Her voice quivered as she shook in fear of him. "R... R-Ralts...?"

Alex looked at the young pokemon with some pity in his eyes. He had no idea what she'd been through, but he did know that it couldn't have been good to enter a human building... His brow furrowed. How cic she get in if the building was as sealed as the scientists had said? He shrugged the question off, instead concentrating on moving closer to the tiny psychic pokemon in as calm a manner as he could manage.

He offered her a hand, though she flinched and shied away, shutting her eyes tight and hiding behind her hands, but he waited patiently. She peeked at him, and all she saw was a subdued, kind smile. She watched him for a moment, then reached out to him hesitantly. She still shook violently as she touched his hand, and she was pleasantly warm. He pulled her up to her feet, then lightly patted her head. "You alright?" He asked, looking her over. She looked fine, just a little shaken, and her nod affirmed that.

He nodded back. "Good girl." He smiled at her again, then turned away, walking back over to his bed. He looked back at the door as he lay back down and noticed her still hanging around his door. He sighed. "The room is kinda small, but you can come in if you prefer that to wandering those halls." She considered that for about half a second, shivered again, then walked into the room. Again, he offered her a hand, this time to help her up onto the cot. She accepted it ever so slightly more readily.

Alex scotched over closer to the wall to give her (and himself) a comfortable buffer zone, letting her lay down among the blankets... _'It's kinda warm in here, anyway...' _He thought, simply turning onto his side as the ralts did the same, both of them already begining to drift off to sleep...

_**A/N:**_**Please read and review. I love feedback! Also, please remember to make suggestions! :D**


	2. 2: Bonds and Bounds

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not profit in any way from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creators._

_**A/N:**__ Quick shout out to EliteDog for his review! Thanks for leading the charge, man._

_*Ahem* Now, on with the story. _

_**~~~Chapter Two: Bonds and Bounds~~~**_

Alex awoke slowly, his mind thoroughly doused with sleep's heavy fog as he stared at the ceiling. He yawned, stretching a little, hardly noticing that his bed was a little... stiffer than normal. And smaller. And that he didn't have a blanket... Of course, touching the small green and white pokemon next to him while he stretched snapped it all into perspective exceptionally quickly. He groaned a bit in exasperation. 'Fantastic... I was kinda hoping I'd wake up and realize all this crap was just a dream.'

His eyes turned to the small pokemon beside him, and he couldn't help but smile. Sometime during the night, she'd shifted closer to him, curling up in the crook of his arm. It amused him that such a timid little pokemon could stand to be so close to a human, even be subconsciously drawn to him. And that the human she was drawn too was Alexander, King Outcast? Alex the Antisocial? That was just priceless.

He placed a hand on the pokemon's tiny shoulder, hoping to rouse her gently rather than completely freak her out, as he had yesterday. He paused to wonder again how he knew she was female... And realized the little pokemon was practically broadcasting her emotions to him, even as she slept. This intrigued him, since in the pokemon games this didn't usually happen until ralts evolved into kirlia or gardevoir, if at all. He still wasn't quite sure how he had extrapolated her gender from that, but he knew that's what he had done at the very least.

The ralts stirred under his hand, returning him to the present. She looked up at him through her "hair" in the cutest manner imaginable. His sister probably would have had a squee-gasm, but Alex simply smiled broadly at her. "Well, good morning to you, little one. Feeling a little better today?" He already knew she was. On top of the advantage of knowing the little pokemon's feelings, she didn't flinch away from him as she had the night before. It was simply reassuring to see her nod, even if she did do her best to hide her embarrassment.

He nodded back in satisfaction, rubbing her head a little as he did so. "Good. I also seem to be feeling just fine, so I guess it's okay for you to stick around, if you like..." Before she could answer, Hana all but burst into the room, smiling broadly. Instantly the little pokemon bolted behind him, holding onto his shirt nervously. "Gooood Morniiing, Alex~!" Alex grimaced at both the fact that she was speaking Japanese and the singsong tone she used. 'Yep... definitely not my type. No one should be that happy in the morning.' He sighed, waving a little to Hana. "Good morning... What's up?"

She laughed a little. Not a girlish giggle, but it certainly wasn't entirely unpleasant. "Well, since you're stuck inside the facility, my father and I figured we'd try and help to get you fully back on your feet. Being in the Revitalization Chamber for so long probably did a number on your physical strength and stamina... Oh, and you'll need vaccinations, though we won't be sure which ones until we take some blood..." As she spoke, Alex quickly became less and less enthusiastic about staying in the facility. Not that it was exactly his first choice, anyway.

"That... does not sound fun. Why my blood? And why do I need too?" She cocked an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip. She looked like she was about to simply shrug and walk away, but instead she simply sighed. "Well, like I said, you've been in that chamber a long time. Longer than you realize. There are a lot of new pathogens that your body simply won't be able to handle without proper preparation." Her smile returned to a degree. "Basically, to minimize the number of times we need to poke you, we need to take some blood so we know what you can already handle."

Alex nodded. "Suppose it can't be helped... but how long have I been...?" He wasn't precisely sure how to phrase the last part, so he let it trail, assuming she knew he meant "How long have I been in the tube?". Her face blanked as her mood turned solemn. "We believe you'd been dead for at least a couple thousand years prior to our discovery... We've had you here since... well, since I was born." Alex heard only "dead" and "couple thousand years", everything else faded into the background.

"...Dead?" He was shaking, his stunned mind struggling to wrap itself around that. "That's... I died when that...?" He'd known he should have died that night, but he'd assumed he'd lived through it! 'I mean... I still remember it! It was only the night before last!' He felt worry that wasn't his own and a tiny hand on his back. He looked back at her as she moved around to stand beside him. He knew she still wasn't completely comfortable with him, but she was beginning to trust him... Alex put a hand on her head, and took a deep breath. "That's probably... That is the most disturbing thing I've ever heard... But I think I might be able to come to terms with it."

He looked at Hana's blank stare and realized he'd slipped back into English in is state of mental disarray. "Um... Sorry... Didn't realize I'd died." He grinned nervously, keeping a hand on Ralts' head for emotional support. She frowned at him, looking contemplative. "Really? You remembered everything else, which was strange in and of itself..." She paused, then looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry. I thought you already knew... We can do the tests later, if you like, though I'd like to ask you a question before I leave, at least..."

It looked like she wouldn't leave unless he consented, so he sighed. "Well, I should be okay for the tests in a while, either way... Anyway, ask your question, please." She nodded, then looked at the ralts. "What is that ralts doing in here? I thought my father was going to wait until later to let you choose a pokemon..." Alex looked at the little ralts, then smiled. "She was really scared last night. I'm not sure why that was, but I offered to let her stay here." Hana cocked an eyebrow at him, then nodded. "Alright, then. I'll go let dad know you'll be ready later..."

As she turned to walk out the door, Hana cast an odd glance at the little ralts that was clinging to his shirt nervously again. "She seems quite attached to you. Maybe you should consider her as a partner instead of the lab's pokemon?" Alex and the ralts exchanged look. Alex had his own qualms with owning intelligent beings, but the ralts was nervous for other reasons... Alex assumed they had to do with why she'd entered the lab in the first place.

Hana left the two of them in silence, though the quiet click of the door was more than enough to startle them into realizing they'd been staring at each other. The two of them looked away in unison, blushing heavily. Still, Alex paused. While he did have a problem with "owning" pokemon, he knew that the world was likely riddled with dangerous breeds and people vying for their power. He wasn't sure which was more dangerous... or which one of the two of them would be in more danger outside.

He glanced at her again, this time assessing her petite form... At least, he tried to. He quickly realized he had no prior knowledge of pokemon to compare her to... though her emotions seemed strong enough, and she seemed quite intelligent. Maybe he'd ask the Professor about it? Regardless, a thought struck him and he blurted it out without thinking. "Do you mind if I call you Belle?" She looked at him in surprise, still slightly flushed. Still, she didn't seem completely opposed, so he averted his eyes and continued.

"It's just... I feel kind of weird about how people call pokemon by their breed, you know? It kind of depersonalizes you, and I simply don't think anyone, human or pokemon, deserves that..." The ralts nodded slowly, warming up to the idea. Alex looked to her again, asking, "So... is it alright?" She thought about it for a moment, then nodded with a shy smile. Alex grinned broadly back at her. "Excellent! Well, then, Belle... I was asking you earlier if you wanted to come with me for a while. I certainly wouldn't mind having a friend around for whatever the scientist has in store for me."

Hana came back later with a real, if simple, set of clothes, consisting of a pair of jeans, a plain white shirt, and a pair of generic black shoes. As they set out, Alex set Belle on his shoulder, letting her dangle her legs down the right side of his chest. Hana led him down a few halls, giving Alex a sense of how large the lab must be... And he was sure he hadn't seen very much of it at all. Eventually, she brought him to a long hall with six extremely heavy (and sleekly mechanical) looking doors.

She led him to the last one on the right and turned to the two following her. "Are you sure you want to bring the ralts inside? I'm pretty sure she won't do much but get in the way." Belle wrapped her arm around the back of his neck, holding on tightly and causing him to smile. He gave Hana a one-shoulder shrug to keep from disturbing the psychic type. "Yes... Though I'm not sure Belle would give me a choice, anyway." He felt a little extra heat from the small pokemon on her shoulder as her embarrassment rose, though she showed absolutely no sign of slackening her grip. Alex chuckled slightly, completely ignoring the look Hana gave the two of them.

"Alright, I suppose that's fine. If you've decided to take her on as your partner, though, my father still insists on giving you a lab-raised pokemon. He's stubborn like that." She turned her back to the two of them and entered a code into the keypad beside the door, her fingers moving like lightning from years of practice. The door slid down into the floor with a quiet whir, revealing a somewhat large room. Professor Arcade was sitting at desk in the nearest corner, apparently doing some paperwork of some sort or another.

"Ah! Good afternoon, lad! Glad to see your "funk" passed without much trouble... And I hear you've made a friend!" Arcade eyed the ralts on the young man's shoulder as he entered the room. "Not sure how she got in here, or why you didn't get sick from the pathogens she probably brought in from the outside world, but no time to worry about that now!" He pulled out a tray of six pokeballs, picking one of them out from among the others. "This one's empty, should you choose to take her on as your partner, though I'm sure my daughter told you I'm also offering you one of the lab pokemon, as well. Once you've chosen, we can begin the tests and rehabilitation."

Alex took the spare pokeball, then considered the other balls. He had no idea what pokemon were within them, and the fact that he had no idea how to approach this made him nervous. Was he supposed to choose immediately? Was he allowed to see what was inside? He picked one up, and, oddly enough, his questions were answered immediately. A shock went up his arm, around the back of his neck, and he instantly knew what was inside. Kabuto... a pokemon long extinct by the present time. A male rock and water type, well trained for it's "young" age, and in very good health. He instantly knew all the moves it could use, as well.

The professor smiled slightly when he saw the look of surprise on Alex's face. When he spoke, his tone was more than a little smug. "I'm guessing you've never held a pokeball before, have you? It's outer case works on a neuro-electric level. Touch activates the ball, and it automatically transfers data about the pokemon inside to the person in contact. That one is Kabuto, one of the many fossilized pokemon that have been revived here, in my lab... Though I suppose you may like to know the process isn't restricted to pokemon alone."

Now there was a shocker. The technology used to bring fossilized pokemon back to life... was able to bring him back as well? "First human ever to return from the dead, my lad! Even better, your a living relic of time before pokemon! I doubt anyone could comprehend that much time!" Alex glanced at him. He knew he sure couldn't, and even Belle was shocked into staring blatantly. "Anyway, I wanted to make sure we were truly neurologically similar, at least... Easiest way? Hand you a pokeball. Still, feel free to pick whichever of these pokemon you like."

Alex wasn't sure he wanted to just... take ownership of a pokemon, but the look on the professor's face said he wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Alex sighed, muttering quietly to himself in English as he touched each ball in turn. He recognized Kabuto, Lileep, Cranidos, and, oddly enough, a Porygon in four of the balls, but the fifth contained one he simply didn't know. Alex looked to the professor. "I don't know this one... Do you mind if I let her out?"

The professor nodded and sat forward, and Alex stepped back and pressed the button. A small fighting type appeared in a red flash, though it was still a little more than twice Belle's size. It looked around with it's fox like head for a moment, then spotted Arcade. "Mienfoo?" It asked, obviously not sure why it was out of it's ball. The professor waved a hand at Alex, who was looking at her critically. "A Mienfoo, huh? I can't say I've ever heard of you..." Still, she looked quite able, all things considered. Alex couldn't help but nod to himself and wonder what she would evolve into.

Professor Arcade grinned and stood once Alex informed him of his choice. "Good choice, lad! Mienfoo will certainly be able to handle the dark types your ralts would have trouble with!" Alex opened his mouth to correct him, but shut it again quickly. He was worried the professor would take her away if he denounced her, or perhaps a worse fate, capture her for his own purposes. "So... Would you like to give them names? I'll register them to you now, if you like... Just gotta have a name and a filled ball." Alex paused, then looked at the ralts on his shoulder. She still looked a bit nervous. Alex decided to address the Mienfoo first and sat on the ground, getting a look from the professor that he ignored.

He started speaking in English again. "You know, I think I'd like to take you on as a partner... But if that's gonna happen, I'm going to need to give you a name." He felt a little jealousy from the smaller pokemon on his shoulder and smiled. "Oh... And you'll need to get along with Belle, too... If she chooses to come with me. Anyway, what do you say..." He paused for a moment, then grinned. "...Clara?"

She nodded quietly, giving him a small smile to show that she was pleased with her new name. "Alright then, Clara... Welcome to our little circle." She nodded again, and he returned her to her ball. He looked to the ralts on his shoulder. "Well... You can leave if you want, but I'd be glad to take you on as a full time partner, Belle... So it's your turn, Belle. Will you come with me?" He held the empty pokeball up to her, but she still hesitated slightly. She was a little nervous about the new trainer she'd met only the night before, but he felt her steel her resolve. She reached out and touched the pokeball's button, letting the red light envelope her.

It shook slightly in his hand, her mental presence emanating from the ball, though he could no longer feel her emotions. Still, only a moment later, the ball stilled, and the red light in the button faded, causing Alex to smile. "Good girls, both of you..." He stood again and handed both balls over to a thoroughly perplexed Professor Arcade. "Belle is the ralts, Clara is the Mienfoo. Thank you for the pokemon and pokeball." The professor nodded slightly, and, though still confused, started registering the pokemon. He hit a hitch, though, and looked at Alex, even more perplexed. "I have to know your full name, lad... Or is it just Alex?"

The new trainer ruffled his brow as he paused, then nodded. "My full name is Alexander Jameson... Sorry for the late introduction." Arcade waved the apology away as he finished registering the pokemon. "No harm, no foul, lad... Here you go... Just keep them on your..." He paused as he realized Alex didn't have a belt. He scrambled for a moment, then produced a rather worn, black one. "Ah, here you are! Keep them on this... They'll automatically latch to it. Another wonder of neuro-electric science!"

Once Alex was fully outfitted, professor arcade nodded his pleasure. "The pokeballs suit you, Alexander, my lad!" Alex grimaced at the use of his full name, but nodded at the compliment. "Now then, if you'll just sit over here, we'll get the unpleasant part out of the way first, then get you..." He never finished the sentence, as he was interrupted by a rather loud explosion that rocked the entire complex. "What in the name of...?" Hana's voice came from apparently no-where. "Dad! Someone's attacking the lab! They took out a few of the Electrode in the generator, and... What the...?" She went silent as all the lights went out for a moment, only to be replaced by an eery glow from around the lower edge of the room.

Professor Arcade's furious expression looked absolutely terrifying in the ominous lighting. "NO! Those hooligans... This is terrible... The outside air will ruin ALL of my experiments!" He remembered Alex, whom was simply and utterly confused. "Lad, looks like you're going to get horribly sick, after all... I suppose your inoculation can come the old fashioned way... as well as your physical training. Let's go." He left no room for argument as he quickly opened the door and grabbed his wrist, dragging the confused lad down the hall after him.

_**A/N:**_** Bah, meant to have this out yesterday, but I had an issue with my computer that deleted the second half of the chapter. TWICE. =.=;; Anyway, read, review, suggest ideas, whatever floats your boat! I love feedback.**


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